Salpêtrière Hospital experience with biochemotherapy in metastatic melanoma.
OBJECTIVE
This article investigates the safety and efficacy of a simple cisplatin-based biochemotherapy regimen, containing single-agent cisplatin plus recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) and recombinant interferon-alpha (rIFN-alpha), in the treatment of metastatic melanoma.


METHODS
Between December 1990 and April 1997, 129 patients were treated with cisplatin (100 mg/m2, day 0) plus continuous intravenous infusion rIL-2 (18 MIU/m2/day, days 3-6 and days 17-21) and subcutaneous rIFN-alpha (9 MIU three times per week) plus or minus tamoxifen (160 mg/day) on three different protocols. Tumor response, disease-free survival, and overall survival were evaluated for all evaluable patients (N = 127).


RESULTS
The overall response rate was 49%, and 10% of patients achieved a complete response. Responses were observed at all sites of metastases. In one case, a patient with a large cutaneous inguinal mass experienced a dramatic regression of that lesion within 1 month. The median disease-free survival was 5 months, and median overall survival was 11 months. Patients who responded had a significant survival advantage over nonresponders, and patients who achieved a complete response had a significant survival advantage over patients with a partial response. Toxicities were manageable and reversible upon discontinuation of therapy.


CONCLUSIONS
The response rates achieved with this simple biochemotherapy regimen are comparable to those for other cisplatin-based biochemotherapy regimens, which use more complex multiagent chemotherapy regimens. We found no added clinical benefit from the addition of tamoxifen to cisplatin.
Antoine
E C
EC
Department of Medical Oncology, Hôpital de la Salpêtrière, Paris, France.
Benhammouda
A
A
Bernard
A
A
Youssef
A
A
Mortier
N
N
Gozy
M
M
Nizri
D
D
Auclerc
G
G
Rocher
M A
MA
Soubrane
C L
CL
Weil
M
M
Khayat
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015996:Survival Rate; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013629:Tamoxifen; D002945:Cisplatin